Paying For College After Divorce

Jerry stopped into my office in Colts Neck recently.

Someone else had represented him in his divorce case 10 years earlier.

"Are you kidding me? I pay alimony, child support, other expenses, and now you're telling me that I also have to kick in to help pay for my kid's college costs?"

That's what Jerry said to me.

And so I told Jerry about the case of Newburgh v. Arrigo where the NJ Supreme Court made such a ruling.

Indeed, determining a fair formula for the financing of a college education for children of divorced parents can be complex.

According to state law, both parents have a responsibility to contribute to the cost of their child's college education, regardless of the child's age.

These criteria include whether the parent would have paid for the child's college education if the family was still together, the child's academic ability and potential, the financial resources of both parents, the child's relationship with each parent, including their commitment to attending college, the availability of financial aid, and the child's relationship with siblings or family members currently in college.

In New Jersey, the court may order parents to pay up to the full amount of tuition, fees, room, and board for their child's college education.

However, the court may also consider other factors when determining a parent's obligation to contribute, such as financial hardship or a significant change in circumstances.

The court may require the child to contribute to the cost of their education through part-time work or taking out student loans.